MAGAZINE PIN OAK ISSUE 36: TERM 2, JUNE 23, 2016 SCIENCE ROP K-6 Contents 3 Headmaster’s Report 4 Big Issue 5 Films, Music, Books 6 K - 6 News 7 More K-6 8 Feature Article Deputy Head Reports OXLEY GIRLZ SAVING CRITICALLY ENDANGERED 10 GORILLAS In the Spotlight 11 With over 20 million preloved or broken mobiles sitting in Australian cupboards and drawers, there’s a fair chance you may 12 Old Oxleyan have one or two. Even if it is completely useless to you, it may still help to save the critically endangered gorillas. 13 On the Branch This is the message from Zoe Brain (Year 7) who has created the Gorilla Girlz, a team of Oxley College girls (Alicia Brain, Julia Gallery Parker, Molly O’Meagher, Ella Jackson, Freya Anthony and Indigo 14 Brain), who are on a mission to collect over 1,000 preloved mobile phones, iPads, Tablets, iPods, MP3 players and their 15 Calendar chargers to recycle. Introducing the campaign into Oxley College as a part of World Sport Environment Week, Zoe said “It’s an awesome campaign and it 16 is so easy to do, Oxley students just bring the devices to school and we do the rest.” Zoe was inspired and felt the calling in her heart, after hearing Bindi Irwin speak about ‘Never being too young to make a difference’ and hearing about the plight of the gorillas. Pin Oak Team To date, the Gorilla Girlz have raised approximately $550 and Editors in Chief recycled over 140 devices from Bowral, Burrawang, Avoca and Kaarina Allen, Cate Patterson and Heidi Bevan Penrose Primary Schools as well as BDCU Alliance Bank and Student Editorial Team Robertson CTC. Ella Moran, Isabelle Knowles, Jemima Taylor, Izzy Moore, Mobile phones, iPads etc, all contain a rare earth called Colton Tully Mahr, Tom Hill and the world’s largest Colton mine happens to be in the middle of these beautiful animal’s home, destroying the forest and their Student Photographer food supply. By recycling the Colton from mobiles and other Olivia Donovan electronic devices, to be used in new electronics, we reduce the need for Colton mining, thus reducing the impact on the gorilla’s Designers habitat. Emma Croker, Grace Patterson and Lachlan BP “Also the mobiles contain small amounts of precious metals, so Design Assistants the recycling company pays us, on average $2 per mobile. This Bree Feary, Cameron Grice, Tom Whyte, Holly Jefford, money is donated to the Gorilla Doctors, who provide on-the- Juliette Swain ground, lifesaving medical care, as well as providing protection from poachers who are hunting them for ‘bush meat’” Zoe said. Head of Marketing and PR There are only about 250-300 Cross River Gorillas and 880 Emma Calver Mountain Gorillas left in the wild. Next term, we will be looking for ‘Gorilla Champions’ from Staff Editor other schools, to join our team to take this awesome, lifesaving Beattie Lanser programme into other schools within the Southern Highlands. Please help us and together we can make a difference. Oxley College Railway Road, Burradoo, NSW, 2576. Ph: 4861 1366 [email protected] 02 HEADMASTER’S REPORT OXLEY STRATEGIC PLAN The ‘2020 landscape’ section is slightly ambiguous. On one hand it is more concrete than our overall Oxley has had strategic plans for many years, goals and vision. On the other hand it not so but before now they have not been published to specific to be a set of programmes. Indeed the parents. We would like to change that. As a result, elements of the 2020 landscape are features we have put the ‘one year’ and the ‘five year’ plans that I believe we can also see at Oxley today. on the website for you to have a look at - or at The College is not just a ‘five year plan’ - it has least feel comfortable knowing that they are there. been around for decades and will be around for There are a number of elements to our centuries more. However, the 2020 landscape is a Strategic Plan: mid-point between specific projects and timeless goals and it serves as a very good marker. a) The seven strategic priorities These plans were made by the Executive with the b) The overall goals guidance of Eugene Joubert from our Board. They c) How the strategic priorities link to the have been discussed with the full staff on a number Vision and the Mission of occasions and partly changed as a result of their input. The plans have also been discussed and d) What the 2020 landscape should look like approved of by the College Board and Chairman. e) What the 2016 action plan is They do distil much of what we do. As a staff and Executive we have also talked about how we are The seven strategic priorities are: going to measure and judge what we achieve each a) Rigour in academic education/teaching and year. The Executive meets once a term off site for learning the express purpose of going through the goals for that year and measuring our progress against b) Enriched and enlightened learning them. c) Caring for the whole student You will not see the Strategic Plan rear its d) Ethical, moral and spiritual development occasionally ungainly head too often in the day to day life of the College. However, we hope you feel e) Infrastructure and development its transformative influence in much of what we f) Enriching Co-curricular Experience do here from week to week and from year to year. g) Attraction and retention of people: Staff and students. You will find the plan at: https://www.oxley.nsw. The Strategic Plan is linked to our Vision and edu.au/about/strategic-plan/ Mission statements. The Oxley Vision, Mission and Values are the timeless, enduring statements about the sort of College we are and want to be. We believe they are distinctive and powerful. This is why we sent them to you in hard copy. I think of them as ‘the light on the hill’. The Strategic Plan by contrast is a more measurable set of goals. To mix metaphors, it is more like the keel of our boat as we travel. You don’t see it everyday, but it keeps everything steady as we travel. 03 POSTCARDSPOSTCARDS... Dear Oxley, My life since November last year has been busy, full of new ventures and adventures! I began working at various jobs soon after to school in order to build up my travel fund. In February I returned to Oxley to work as a mentor to the current year 12. Although strange to be on the other side of the desk, I so enjoyed sharing what I’d learnt in the HSC with those already in the midst of it. May saw me pack my bags for travel as I headed to Canada to visit my family. My month there involved hiking in the snow, sunny park days, family bbqs with amazing burgers and fries, strolls around lush Vancouver and too much maple syrup! Just a week ago I arrived in London for the first time. My best chummy, Maddie (who has just spent three months aupairing in Spain) and I are taking in as much as we can of this glorious city. We even saw the Queen in the flesh at the Trooping of The Colour parade! In just a few days we head to Scotland for some rainy, loch ness, kilt-filled escapades. In July I will make my way to Lyon, France for some aupairing and a French course CLASS OF 2015: to prepare me for when I begin my two years of university in the south of France in August. The last six months have been quite the ride, but as I Evangeline Larson sit on my lumpy mattress in a London dorm writing to you...I couldn’t be happier! My love to all at Oxley. Evie x HeyHey Oxley, Oxley, How’sHow’s everything everything doing doing back back home? home? I Ican’t can’t believebelieve it’sit’s been 9 months sincesince I leftI left school school and and 6 6 months months since since I Ileft left Australia!Australia! I’mI’m only half wayway through through my my Gap Gap Year, Year, but but already already it it has has beenbeen thethe most incredible experience.experience. I’veI’ve been been living living just just out out of of London, London, working working asas aa GapGap AssistantAssistant at a boardingboarding school. school. During During term term time time I Iwork work withwith 55 otherother Australians aroundaround the the school, school, but but the the main main reason reason I’m I’m overover herehere isis because EnglishEnglish schools schools get get a a holiday holiday every every 5 5 weeks. weeks. I’veI’ve skied skied the the French French Alps, Alps, dived dived off off sailing sailing boatsboats inin Croatia,Croatia, cycled aroundaround the the canals canals of of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, walked walked throughthrough thethe gasgas chambers of Auschwitz,Auschwitz, kissed kissed the the Blarney Blarney Stone Stone in in Ireland, Ireland, walkedwalked the Berlin Wall inin Germany, Germany, eaten eaten my my weight weight in in chocolate chocolate inin Belgium,Belgium, andand experiencedexperienced soso many many more more eye eye opening opening and and amazing amazing places.places. IfIf allall goesgoes to plan this yearyear I’ll I’ll visit visit something something like like twenty twenty countries! countries! TravellingTravelling toto so many differentdifferent places places allows allows for for enormous enormous exposure exposure toto suchsuch diverse culture andand history, history, and and it it has has given given me me a a lot lot of of world world perspectiveperspective that you justjust can’t can’t get get in in Bowral.